The Biggest Resume Mistake - And How To Avoid It

Hi Liz,

I have a lot of work experience but I can’t seem to get interviews even for jobs I know I’m qualified for.

I've sent my resume to so many companies I lost count.

Am I doing something wrong? What do I need to do differently?

Thanks,

?Meg

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Hi Meg,

You’ve probably heard that when you apply for a job through an ATS (applicant tracking system) you’ve got to have the right keywords in your resume.

Those keywords could be tools and software you’ve worked with (Microsoft Excel or Python, for instance) or skills you’ve acquired – like writing website copy, designing training modules or conducting market research.

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You need keywords in your resume, but keywords are not enough!

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The biggest resume mistake we see is that many or most candidates don’t use their resume to its full advantage.

With just a glance at your resume the reader needs to learn:

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1)???? What kind of job you want – down to the job title, and

2)???? Why you’re a great candidate for the job you want.

Yes, recruiters use keyword-searching algorithms to screen resumes as a first step, ?but once that first screen is completed a human being will review the resumes that passed the initial screening.

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You have to write your resume for a human reader, not just a bot or piece of software!

• The biggest resume mistake we see at Human Workplace is that most candidates don’t make it clear what kind of job they want.
• Their resume isn’t written or tailored to the job they’re currently applying for. Their resume may pass the initial screen (because it has the appropriate keywords in it) but that’s not enough.?
• They don’t move forward in the hiring process – a shame, because they could do the job.

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To get the interview, your resume has to let the reader know that you understand the job you’re applying for – and are well-equipped to step into it.

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Your resume needs to showcase the job title you want. That’s an easy change to make.

Then, you need a very short Summary at the top of your resume to make clear to the reader that you understand the job you’re applying for.

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You can make these two improvements to your resume in ten minutes and get more interviews starting right away!

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I’m about to lead my popular resume workshop Write Your Perfect Resume.

In the course, we will work on your resume together to make it sing your song!

Get on the early bird list for Write Your Perfect Resume here:

https://go.humanworkplace.com/resume